Let The Good Times Roll!
by weezerz2490
Summary: From the Big Easy to the Big Apple. After paying a visit to her brother, Charlie finds herself involved with the ruthless Gandor Family. But this doll face ain't no pushover. She's determined to let the good times roll no matter what life throws at her!
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: Hi there! After re-watching Baccano to de-stress from school, I was over come with the urge to write a story involving an OC. I'm not quite sure where this is going yet, so please bear with me here. (^_^;) I just made this M because I'm paranoid, language, and this anime is actually kind of gorey. I plan on sticking to the anime, but I recently found some online translations of the light novels, so there might be some elements of that mixed in too. Thanks for reading! The foot notes will be numbered through out the story using this [#] format.

I own nothing but my OC, and I reserve the right to both accidentally and purposefully distort historical facts. I do not mean to offend anyone, but I'm sorry if you are.

* * *

><p><strong>Prologue<strong>  
><strong>One Year ago<strong>  
><strong>The Little Girl From The Big Easy[1]<strong>

Click-clack, click-clack.

Heels clicked on pavement as the girl walked the streets of an unfamiliar city.

Anxiously.

Anxiously, they clicked—echoing throughout the night as she hurried to her destination.

* * *

><p><strong>Someplace in New York<br>November, 1929**

"W-Wait a minute, Mr. Luck—can't we talk about this?" A skinny, dark-haired young man said nervously.

"That's why I'm here, Mr. Dino. To discuss why you have yet to pay off your debt to us." Luck Gandor said coolly as he narrowed his liquid golden eyes at the slightly older man.

It'd been a while since Luck had personally come to collect on a debt like this, but the man cowering before him, Dino Azzurra, was actually the son of an old friend of their father. So out of respect for their father's old friendship, Keith had asked Luck to pay him a visit and give Dino one last chance to pay up and hear Dino's reason for missing the deadline, but... after seeing this place, Luck couldn't help but feel a little... _irritated_...

Mr. Dino Azzurra's grand two-story home had been decorated in an Art Nouveau style that might have been considered classy and elegant, if not for how garish the color scheme was and how excessively large all the décor was. For instance, the couch that Mr. Dino Azzurra was currently cowering on was upholstered in an odd orange and maroon harlequin pattern.

If Dino Azzurra could afford to buy such a uselessly large and gaudy house, then there was really no excuse for the man not to be able to pay them back.

"Well, I'll cut to the chase. You need to pay us back." Luck stated flatly.

The cold look in his sharp eyes made it obvious to the nervous Dino that the gangster was all out of sympathy and understanding. Luck was not leaving without the money he owed them, and if there was no money...

Dino shuddered at the thought, realizing he was doomed.

"Ah, well... Err! B-b-but, give me break will ya! You're makin' me so nervous, I can't even think straight!" Dino stuttered nervously. He was so unnerved that his southern accent was starting to show. Fat beads of sweat rolled down his face as he groveled.

Dino had moved to New York as soon as he convinced his father to give him his inheritance early, and had tried to give himself a new image of a slick, city man (or at least what he thought counted as one). He had been living life in the fast lane, just like almost every other American during the 'roaring twenties'—but unlike most Americans, Dino had decided to take a loan from the mafia when he started running low on funds... and then he had lost all of _that _money gambling himself _even deeper_ into debt.

So, he here was, doing the thing he hated most—groveling—and before a man that wasn't that much older than his bitch of a little sister, but far more dangerous than any of the crooks he'd run into back home.

_Dino knew he was shit out of luck now._

Luck paid Dino's subservient smile no mind and continued the conversation, his voice as calm as before.

"It baffles me as to how you can't pay back just two thousand, thirty-five dollars and fifty-five cents. It's been thirty days, four hours, fifteen minutes, and sixteen seconds since you said you would, come to think of it. Assuming, of course, that the clock on your wall is correct." Luck said, fixing Dino with his sharp gaze after glancing briefly at the clock.

Tick-tock.

Dino clenched his fist and gritted his teeth as sweat rolled down his face.

Tick-tock, tick-tock.

"W-Well, ya see... b-b-because various th-things happened... _I–I swear i-it's not my fault!" _Dino cried desperately.

Tick-tock, tick-tock.

"...Judging by your words, it's obvious you don't have the money to pay us back. What are you going to do about this?" Luck asked coldly. He had already heard about what happened with Dino. Luck might understand how he felt, but that didn't mean he pitied him. Dino should have known better than to gamble with borrowed money.

Dino, transfixed by the other man's cold gaze, began to tremble.  
>He attempted a weak smile, still sweating profusely.<p>

"Ha... Haha... Well—" Dino said nervously, trying to find a way out of trouble.

Luck was just about to cut him off so he wouldn't have to listen to anymore pathetic excuses, when something unexpected happened.

"Dinoooo!" A girl's voice called out a little obnoxiously. It was a pretty voice that rang clear like a crystal bell, but the nagging tone to it was kind of annoying, like a mother who was about to scold a naughty child. "Even if you don't answer the door, I can still tell you're here if you leave the lights on, you know!"

The door of the living room swung open, revealing the voice's owner.

It was a petite young lady who looked only a few years younger than Luck despite her short height of about five feet. She was a pretty little thing, like a fair-skinned porcelain doll. Her hair was a pale mousy brown that was neither blond nor brunette, but the silky locks almost looked like spun silver where the light of the moon, that was streaming in through the window, hit it. Her blue eyes were a clear and striking sky-blue.

Luck watched as those clear blue eyes started to become clouded with confusion as she took in the scene before her. Anyone with half a brain should be able to tell that something very serious had been interrupted by the way Dino was cowering on the sofa with Luck looming over him ominously.

The girl sighed, looking slightly chagrined, as she shook her head in disbelief.

"Haah... It looks like I just got involved in something I'd rather not... Oh well, it can't be helped I guess, since Mrs. Aggie asked me to bring you back to see her..." The girl said thoughtfully, frowning slightly at Dino, before turning to face Luck. "Hello, sir. I'm Dino's sister, Charlene Azzurra. But you can just call me Charlie if you'd like. May I ask who you are and what business you have with my brother?" She said politely as she held her hand out to the gangster.

Charlie didn't know what was going on, but she could tell that it must be serious if her proud and stubborn brother was sweatin' like a pig on his way to the slaughter house just from being in this man's presence. She might as well play nice until she found out more about the situation...

'Well, at least someone in this family has manners.' Luck thought, smiling that slight smile of his as he shook her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Charlie. I'm Luck Gandor, but I'm afraid I'm here to discuss some rather serious business with your brother... although, I must admit, I'm a little surprised. I wasn't aware that Mr. Dino had a sister." Luck said respectfully.

"That's because I don't." Dino said spitefully through gritted teeth as he glared at his younger sister. "And how did you even get in here_––Wasn't my door locked!_?" He demanded incredulously.

It was bad enough that he was in hot water with the Gandors, but now _she_ was here.

Luck frowned slightly at that. What a thing to say, especially when his sister had stayed for him instead of running while she had the chance.

"You really should buy better locks, Dino. They're way too easy to pick. Alas, I see I'm still just as hated as always, huh?" Charlie said, smiling a wryly. "Even if we're not related by blood, Father said that I became an Azzurra on the day he adopted me. Well, nevermind. Even if you hate me, I know you still love your mother, Mrs. Aggie. I wouldn't have even come if she hadn't asked me to, you know." She said, shrugging, obviously used to such treatment from Dino.

'So, she's adopted... like Claire.' Luck thought.

He and his brothers had always considered Claire their fourth brother, despite not being related by blood, so it made him curious as to why Dino seemed to have such an intense hatred for his adopted sister.

"Ha! I cut all ties with those old fools already, remember? I'm not going back unless it's to dance on that old bastard's grave!" Dino laughed bitterly. "I don't even know why mother tolerates your existence—the daughter of the whore that tried to steal her husband from he—"

_SLAP!_

Luck's eyes widened slightly in surprise. Not only because of what he had just heard, but because Charlie had just slapped Dino's face so hard, that the sound seemed to echo throughout the room.

Dino just stared at her, stunned. No matter how much he had bullied her in the past, she had never once raised a hand to him before.

"How many times do I have to tell you this before you understand, Dino Azzurra?" Charlie asked calmly as she stared coldly at the shocked man. "My mother might've worked in a sporting house in Storyville, but she wasn't a whore [2]. She just sang and cleaned—_that's it_. While it's true that she was in love with your father, she never had any intention of breaking up your family. She and I probably would've stayed at Anderson's until they shut the whole district down in 1917 if she hadn't died from tuberculosis. Your father took me in out of pity when he found out that I had become an orphan. I was only five when it happened, so if not for your parents, I don't know what would've become of me. I never knew my real father, so as far as I'm concerned, Mr. Azzurra is the only one I've ever had, and your mother is a kind woman who treated me well despite knowing about the affair with my mother— So you'd better not let me hear you talk bad about them either!"

Charlie looked close to tears now, but she clenched her fists, determined not to cry, not yet. Not while she still had things she needed to do. Charlie took a deep, calming breath before continuing.

"The reason I came here is because your mother's sick, and she wants to see you." Charlie said calmly.

"...That's it...?" Dino asked, raising an eyebrow at her. "Oh, please! When _isn't_ that woman sick? She's always been bed ridden from time to time because of her asthma. Why should I waste money on a ticket to New Orleans when I can't even pay back the debt I owe to the mafia_!_?" He demanded incredulously.

"...You borrowed money from the mafia?" Charlie asked him, looking slightly stunned. "Are you an idiot? What were you thinking_!_?" She demanded incredulously. She glanced at Luck, as though something had suddenly occurred to her. "Come to think of it, Mr. Gandor... you aren't related to _the _Gandor Family, are you? I think I remember Mr. Jelly warning me about a group with a name like that before..." Charlie said cautiously.

"I'm afraid that is correct, Miss Charlie. You see, your brother owes us a little over two thousand dollars, and he has yet to pay us back." Luck explained calmly, slightly amused at how quickly this girl could change emotions.

He also had to wonder who this 'Mr. Jelly' was... What kind of name was that? A pseudonym?

"Pay them back _now,_ dammit!" Charlie scolded Dino. "Mr. Jelly told me he heard about these guys from a man who just barely managed to survive an encounter with them––Mr. Jelly doesn't kid around about these things, you know!"

"And just how am I supposed to do that, huh_!_? I already told you I don't have any money!" Dino snapped angrily at her.

"This is your house, isn't it? You own all of this crap, don't you_!_? Just sell it all until you get enough money!" She yelled back.

"What are ya crazy_!_? Where the heck am I supposed to live if I do that_!_?" Dino demanded incredulously. _"I'll be homeless!"_

"At least you'll be alive! I came to bring you back to New Orleans, so you might as well just live with us again, until you can afford to move out." Charlie said reasonably.

"Then just lend me the money! I heard the old man croaked through the grapevine, so you can probably get money from Mother for me, right?" Dino said callously.

An odd expression flickered briefly across Charlie's face for a moment, but neither of the two men could place what it might meant.

"Look, Dino... this is your fault, so I think you should deal with it yourself, or else you'll never learn your lesson." Charlie said, furrowing her brow slightly. "Father and I have been bailing your ass out of trouble ever since we were kids, but I can't keep saving you forever. It's time to grow a pair and take responsibility for your own actions." She said bluntly.

"Hmph. You're just as crude as ever, aren't you. It's easy for you to say all of this when you're still living in my parent's home with Mother and have a guaranteed roof over your head and food to eat––but I'll have nothing if I sell my house!" Dino seethed at her, clenching his fists.

"Personally, I think you should take Miss Charlie's advice and cut your loses while you still have a chance of walking away from all of this." Luck calmly interjected. "I'm honestly curious. Do you seriously believe excuses like that will work on people like us, especially after borrowing our money? We, who you ordinary citizens call _mafia?_ Do you expect us to feel pity for the debtors we force out onto the streets?"

Luck, the Gandor Family's youngest executive officer, loomed over Dino Azzurra, the incredulity he felt clear in his eyes.

No youthful enthusiasm was present in his gaze. Only bone-chillingly cold ruthlessness.

Although Charlie's rough language wasn't very ladylike, _she_ was at least using her head. Luck found that of the two 'siblings,' he definitely preferred the younger sister since she at least understood the situation and was giving him and his brothers the proper fear and respect for people of their reputation.

The Gandor Family.

They were a small organization that controlled an equally small portion of Manhattan Island's turf. Though their territory and numbers were laughable, in other aspects the Family more than lived up to the title of mafia, to the extent that even other organizations in the area acknowledged them.

Luck's gaze carried no hesitation, for he had already waded through countless scenes of bedlam and come out tougher for it. If Dino Azzurra dared to say anything that made light of the Family, Luck was more than prepared to make him pay dearly for it.

Charlie could see that Luck meant serious business, and couldn't help but feel a little intimidated despite their closeness in age. Luck Gandor was clearly not a man you wanted to mess with, and she had no intention of insulting or angering him by trying. However, she had promised Mrs. Aggie that she would bring Dino back to see her, and the doctor had admitted that he didn't think poor Mrs. Aggie would be able to recover.

She couldn't waste time here. She had to get Dino back to New Orleans, for Mrs. Aggie's sake!

"It might take some time to sell the house, and though it pains me to say this... that is something Mrs. Aggie just doesn't have." Charlie said solemnly. "I understand that you're not running a charity here, but could you at least let Dino see her before you settle your business with him? The doctor doesn't expect her to live for much longer, and told me I should consider whatever she asked of me to be her final request."

"...What?" Dino asked, stunned. "You mean to tell me that not only my father, but also my mother is going to be dead soon?"

Dino could not believe his good luck.

If his mother died too, then he'd inherit more money, and wouldn't have to sell his home!

"Yes. That's why I came to get you myself after you didn't reply to my letter." Charlie said seriously. "Mr. Gandor, I know I'm asking a lot, but _please_ let them meet one last time. I'm prepared to stay here in New York as Dino's collateral while he's away and trying to find a buyer for this house."

Luck stared at the girl before him. At first, Luck wanted to question whether she really knew what she was saying or not, but then he noticed that although her eyes were burning bright with determination, she was trembling slightly as she stood before him. Her knuckles were white from how tightly she was clenching her fists out of anxiety.

Charlie Azzurra knew exactly how dangerous her proposal was, but she knew that she had to do it anyway. After everything Mrs. Aggie had done for her, this was the least she could do. Even if Dino was an obnoxious moron, he was still Mrs. Aggie's precious son.

"...Very well." Luck said finally, after what had felt like hours but was in reality, no more than a single minute. "Mr. Dino Azzurra, you have five days to visit your sick mother and pay us back. If you miss the deadline this time, well... let's just say that you'll no longer need to worry about a having place to _live_. Miss Charlie, since I cannot completely trust your brother to keep his word, I must insist that in the event we are unable to find him after his period of grace is over, then his debt will be transferred to you, and _you_ will have to settle Dino's debt in his place."

Luck normally wouldn't have agreed to something like this, but there was something about this girl that intrigued him... despite her tomboy attitude there was something ethereally lovely about her.

Why was she willing to go so far for someone who hated her? He and his brothers had known Mr. Azzurra had Dino as a son, but they hadn't been aware of the existence of his adopted daughter. What kind of life had this girl been living up until now?

Charlie nodded solemnly.

"I understand, Mr. Gandor. Thank you for your consideration." She said calmly.

Charlie was glad that she had at least managed to sound much calmer than she felt, knowing that she had just agreed to put herself in serious danger for Dino's sake. She hoped he would keep that in mind, but she wasn't going to count her chickens before they hatched.

* * *

><p>footnotes:<p>

[1] 'The Big Easy' is an affectionate nickname for the city of New Orleans because of how laid back the city was compared to New York, 'The Big Apple.'

[2] In the 1920's and 30's brothels were referred to as 'sporting houses' in some areas. Storyville is the nickname for a district in New Orleans where prostitution was legal. (They thought designating a 'naughty area' would keep more of the 'non-naughty' areas nicer, like splitting a restaurant into 'smoking' and 'non-smoking' sections to insure that at least some of the air would be clean.)


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: Hi there! After re-watching Baccano to de-stress from school, I was over come with the urge to write a story involving an OC. I'm not quite sure where this is going yet, so please bear with me here. (^_^;) I just made this M because I'm paranoid, language, and this anime is actually kind of gorey. I plan on sticking to the anime, but I recently found some online translations of the light novels, so there might be some elements of that mixed in too. Thanks for reading! The foot notes will be numbered through out the story using this [#] format.

I own nothing but my OC, and I reserve the right to both accidentally and purposefully distort historical facts. I do not mean to offend anyone, but I'm sorry if you are.

* * *

><p><strong>November, 1929<br>The Coraggioso, a small jazz hall  
><strong>  
><strong><br>**In the basement of the jazz hall was the headquarters of the 'Gandor family'.

Sometimes jazz music from the bar upstairs would seep down through the ceiling. And, with this music in a background, a dozen men were drinking wine, laughing, shouting- all these sounds mixed to give an indescribable atmosphere.

From just the looks one could tell the people there weren't of the friendly sort. These men sat scattered around this cramped store, doing whatever they liked.

Yet in such a rowdy place was a pool of silence.

Seated around the central, round table were three men and a girl. They seemed to be playing poker... or trying too, at least.

"What's wrong, Charlie? You get a bad hand?" Berga asked her, smirking.

It'd been about two days since Luck came back with Charlie as Dino's 'collateral.' At first, Berga had been about to pop a blood vessel when he heard how spineless Dino had been, and that he was trying to get out of paying them back, but after hearing the whole story from Luck, and finding out just how useful Charlie actually was (since it turned out she could pick locks, play piano, sing, and do a few sleight of hand tricks), he had managed to calm down before any serious damage was done.

Keith had also been a little surprised to find out that Dino had an adopted sister, but decided to trust Luck's judgment on the matter. After all, even if they killed Dino they still wouldn't get paid.

_Dead men can't write checks._

"Um... I think it's a good one, but... I can't remember what it's called." Charlie said thoughtfully as she furrowed her brow slightly in concentration.

Since she was staying in their Family's base so they could keep an eye on her, Charlie had decided she might as well make herself useful and start working off Dino's debt, just in case he 'forgot' about her and never came back...

However, they weren't exactly what she had expected, based on how she had heard most real mafia bosses were. Oddly enough, she and the three brothers had gotten along pretty well so far, despite the fact that she was pretty much their hostage. As a reward for all of her hard work, the brothers had decided to teach Charlie how to play poker whenever she wasn't needed to play their jazz hall's piano, sing, or pick certain locks. For a bunch of ruthless mafia, they were actually pretty nice guys, as long as you didn't cross them, and after staying with them for two days, Charlie felt that she had learned a little bit more about them.

Keith was the oldest of the three, and the leader of the Family. Keith was the strong and silent type who _rarely _spoke. His thinking is a little conservative and he seems to cling stubbornly onto what most mafioso would consider outmoded rules and ideas. it felt like maybe it was something like an ever-present sense of old-fashioned righteousness? He always persists in upholding some kind of justice, like in the olden days. But Charlie actually admired that he had a sense of honor and duty towards others. Keith also seems to value his work over himself, so as the eldest in the Family he is very worthy of respect.

As for Berga... he didn't really seem to have nearly enough brains to balance out his brawn. No matter how she looked at it, he wasn't anywhere close to being the sharpest knife in the drawer (If you know what I mean). But he wasn't a completely brainless beast either. Berga's specialty was to intimidate people—to create terror in their hearts. In Charlie's opinion, if he was a little brighter, then he'd be _really_ scary.

And then there's the youngest, Luck… Charlie wasn't quite sure what to think about him. Usually, he gives people the impression of being calm and collected, but sometimes it felt like he was just pretending to be so calm. When Charlie asked him the other day if he was all right, Luck surprised her by telling her that knows he's not cut out to be in the mafia, so he persists in forcing himself, intentionally pretending to be a 'ruthless person' to trick himself.

Charlie didn't really like violence, especially killing, but she understood why they felt they had to sometimes after seeing how their Family worked from the inside... And knowing that Luck was doing it because he cared about his brothers and the other members of the Family, Charlie couldn't really hate that part of him.

Truth be told, they were all real men.

That's right, real men— just like the guys that are contemptuous of the law, who often appear in movies. That's the main reason why Charlie felt that these three guys aren't like the Mafia. Isn't this like telling a story? That's because this is a place isn't like New Orleans, where almost every story seemed to be a fairytale with a happy ending. This was a place of harsh reality—a place where only the fittest survive—_New York_.  
><strong><br>**"Well, I wouldn't worry too much about it, Miss Charlie. We're not actually keeping score since this game is just for you to learn the rules. None of the mistakes you make now will count against you." Luck reassured her, smirking slightly in amusement.

It turned out that Charlie was also a fairly quick learner, and already had most of the rules down. She just seemed to be having a little trouble remembering the names of certain hands.

"In that case... I have a straight?" Charlie asked, unsure if she had said it right as she revealed her hand to the table.

She was holding a nine, a ten, a jack, a queen, and a king... all of them were spades, the same suit.

"..." Keith said as he stared at her hand.

That wasn't just any old straight. It was a _straight flush_, and a ridiculously high one at that. It was practically one card away from being a royal flush!

"Argh! Dammit, Charlie! What the hell is this? Your 'beginner's luck' just keeps getting stronger and stronger!" Berga exclaimed incredulously as he resisted the urge to bang his head against the table.

"Haha, that's not just a straight, Miss Charlie." Luck said, smiling wryly. "When they're all the same suit, it's called a straight flush." He explained.

"Ohhh." Charlie said thoughtfully, nodding in understanding, as she filed that away for future reference. "And, judging by Mr. Berga's reaction, my hand is higher than his, huh?"

"Yes. You've beaten me this round too, but it seems Keith's hand is still higher than yours, so he wins this time." Luck explained as he and Keith showed their hands too.

"..." Charlie said as she stared at the Keith's cards, confused. "That's weird. I could've sworn that queen of hearts wouldn't be popping up until three hands later..." She thought out loud.

"... Wait, what did you just say?" Berga asked her, furrowing his brow slightly. "Are you accusing Keith of cheating?"

"No. I was just trying to figure out where I lost count of the cards." Charlie said frankly.

"Miss Charlie, that's not something you should say out loud. You shouldn't tell the people you're playing with that you can count the cards like that, because it'll make them more wary of you." Luck chided her.

Keith nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, hearing a beginner say that they're able to do something as difficult as that kinda pisses me off." Berga grumbled, chagrined.

He could never keep track of where all the cards were, and he had been playing poker for years.

"I might be new at poker, but I've been playing other card games since I was little. The men who came to the sporting house would sometimes play games with me while they were waiting for their turns." Charlie explained, a little miffed that she was being underestimated so much.

"... That's one strange childhood you had there." Berga said, not quite sure what he was supposed to think about that.

Was a brothel entertaining customers really an environment someone should expose their impressionable young daughter to? And from some other stories they had heard from Charlie already, it sounded like the brothel's customers were coming and going as though they weren't doing anything more socially deviant than taking a stroll in the park.

Charlie hadn't even realized how strange it was until later on in her life, since she had been living in one of the cribs that her mother shared with a prostitute ever since she could remember. Charlie had pretty much become the brothel's unofficial mascot, and anyone who wanted to stay on the ladies' good sides wouldn't dare mess with her.

"Well, it certainly wasn't boring." Charlie said, smiling wryly. "My favorite game was Black Jack since it was the easiest for me to understand. I was only three, so I couldn't do math that was too complicated."

"I think the fact that you could count to twenty-one when you were just a toddler was already complicated enough." Berga said, chagrined. "Don't tell me you're some kind of genius on top of everything else?"

"No, I'm just your average girl from New Orleans. I actually hate math if it doesn't involve games. I always liked reading better." Charlie replied, shrugging.

"Forgive me, Miss Charlie, but I find it hard to believe that someone with such a 'colorful' personal history would be considered 'average.'" Luck said, smiling wryly at her.

"..." Keith said.

"Well, I guess it's true that my situation's a little unique, but New Orleans is a very colorful city, so it's full of interesting people and places. It's kind of like New York, only people smile more and they seem to be more laid back. Even when people would complain about how tough times were starting to get after the stock market fell and banks started closing, we'd all just smile and laugh it off together while we did our best to keep standing on our own two feet. The times are tough, but if we stumble and fall, then we just have to help each other stand back up again." Charlie said, smiling warmly at the fond memories she had of her home city.

"But didn't the Azzurras adopt you at a young age, Miss Charlie? Unless I'm mistaken your adopted father was incredibly wealthy, so why do you speak as though you've recently experienced poverty?" Luck asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

Charlie froze, like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Ha...haha... about that..." Charlie said, fidgeting a little nervously, as she avoided their gaze. "I guess maybe now is as good a time as any to admit that the real reason why I didn't give Dino any money to pay of his debt to you, is because we've actually lost most of our money? To be honest, I got one of the guys I know to let me do a little train hopping on one of the trains he was working on so I could save money for the return trip... " She said cautiously, preparing to duck for cover.

The three brothers stared at her, slightly stunned.

They had just let Dino skip town to visit a sick relative—the same one he had been led them to believe would give him money to pay them—But, in reality, said relative didn't have any money to spare...

... In other words, _Dino was up shit creek without a paddle._

There was absolutely no way that Dino would be coming back to New York now. He was too much of a coward to face them properly, so that meant Charlie would most likely be left holding the bag.

"What the hell? This is bullshit!" Berga shouted angrily as he slammed his hands on the table.

Why the hell did they have to get attached to this kid so fast if it was just gonna end like this_!_?

"... Charlie, you do realize that once Dino finds out the truth, he'll bolt, don't you?" Luck said seriously, furrowing his brow slightly.

Charlie smiled a little wanly as she looked at all three of the brothers. It was obvious that they were concerned, and didn't want to have to hurt her even though they'd only just met... but a promise was a promise, and if Dino couldn't deliver, then she would pay the price, as agreed.

"Yeah. I know, but if Dino knew he couldn't get anything out of it, he might not've gone to see Mrs. Aggie. I owe her and 'Father,' Mr. Azzurra, a lot for all the care they've given me. So I figured granting her last request to see her son was the least that I could do. I did this for her, not Dino. So I don't feel particularly betrayed or anything since he and I have never been all that concerned about each other to begin with." She said a little sadly. Charlie didn't regret her decision, but... "It's too bad, though. Being with ya'll is kinda fun, but you don't have to worry, because I won't run. I'm a woman of my word."

/=/=/=/

"... I don't get those guys at all." Charlie thought out loud as she stared at the shopping list in her hand.

After finding out that they probably weren't getting paid after all, she had expected the three brothers to maybe start shaking her down for money or even lock her in a room so she couldn't skip town... but instead of being antagonistic towards her, they had sent her out grocery shopping for them, an errand that required trust. They hadn't even sent someone to watch her or anything.

Charlie was confused. I mean, sure she had promised not to run away, but most gangsters wouldn't just take your word for it, would they?

At any rate, Charlie almost wished they had actually sent someone, because she didn't really know where anything in New York was yet. Where was she supposed to even buy this stuff at? Back in New Orleans, she'd always gone to the French Market with Mrs. Aggie, but so far she hadn't seen anything similar set up in Little Italy...

"... Maybe I should've asked for a map or something?" She said thoughtfully as she glanced around again.

That was when she noticed him. Standing next to one of the shops ahead of her, was a blond man in a nice navy-blue suite. Charlie watched as the strange man casually leaned against the building and lit up a cigarette.

Strange... why did Charlie just think he was strange? There wasn't anything 'strange' about his appearance. He was fairly handsome and looked a little older than Luck Gandor, and there was something familiar about the way he carried himself, but other than that there wasn't really much to say since she didn't even know the man...

She just somehow got the feeling that this man was... _different._

As if sensing he was being watched, the man turned his head slightly, glancing in her direction. Their eyes met. Charlie stared back at him as the man took a draw on his cigarette and slowly exhaled the smoke.

His sharp eyes took in the girl before him.

How curious.

"My, I never thought I'd meet _you_ here... Ah, nevermind..." He said, smiling ever so slightly. He looked like the cat that ate the canary.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note: I think I'm just going to cherry pic my favorite aspects from the anime and light novels, and then combine them together for my story. I'm sorry if it's confusing because of that. ^_^; I'll try not to make anyone too OOC.

I own nothing but my OC, and I reserve the right to both accidentally and purposefully distort historical facts. I do not mean to offend anyone, but I'm sorry if you are.

* * *

><p><strong>November, 1929<br>Little Italy, New York  
><strong>

His sharp eyes took in the girl before him.

How curious.

"My, I never thought I'd meet _you_here... Ah, nevermind..." He said, smiling ever so slightly. He looked like the cat that ate the canary.

"Huh...?" Charlie said, furrowing her brow slightly in confusion.

Had she met this man before? He had been talking in a low voice, so Charlie wasn't sure if she had even heard him right.

"I said you look a little lost, Miss." The mysterious man said calmly, speaking more audibly this time.

"Oh, yes. That's probably because I am..." Charlie said, smiling wryly as she laughed a little nervously. "Could you tell me where the local market is? I'm from out of town, and I forgot to get directions for makin' groceries."

"Makin' groceries...?" The man asked, raising an eyebrow at her curiously.

"Ah, I meant 'buying groceries.' Sorry, it seems we have a funny way of saying certain phrases in New Orleans. That's where I'm originally from, but you probably got that already—ah, sorry, I tend to ramble when I'm nervous!" Charlie explained quickly. She tended to ramble sometimes when she was nervous. "I'm Charlene Azzurra, but everyone just calls me Charlie, and you...?"

"Ronnie Sukiart... You said your last name was Azzurra?" The man said, frowning slightly. "You couldn't possibly be..."

"Hey, Mr. Ronnie! We went to have a talk with that Dino punk like you told us to, but he wasn't no where." A tall, skinny man with curly, black hair called out as he and a plump brunette man crossed the street to them.

They were Randy and Pecho, Ronnie's fellow camorristas.

"Yeah! It looks like he ain't been home for days, and his lock's been picked!" Pecho added.

"Oh, that was me." Charlie said without thinking, causing the men to stare at her. "Ah! You guys aren't cops or detectives, are you?" Charlie asked a little belatedly.

Both of the newcomers laughed at that.

"Haha, good one, doll face!" Randy said, laughing heartily, as Pecho snorted a little. "Don't you know who's turf you're on?"

"Yeah, this area belongs to the Martillo Family!" Pecho declared proudly.

Charlie paled slightly. If the creeping new suspicion she had was correct, then...

_She was in a whole new world of trouble._

"No, wait—Don't tell me that ya'll are another mafia family that my _incredibly_ stupid, _idiot_ of a brother borrowed money from and/or pissed off somehow..._!_?" Charlie asked, her eyes full of incredulity at the very thought.

"We're not mafia, we're Camorra." Ronnie stated calmly as he extinguished his cigarette. He doubted he'd be able to enjoy it now that these two had showed up talking about work.

"That's right! And if you're Dino's sister, then why'd ya have to—Wait, _you're_ his sister_!_?" Pecho yelled, shocked.

"You don't look anything like him, and you just admitted to breaking into his house—There's no way you're his sister!" Randy protested.

"That's because I'm adopted, and he wouldn't let me in." Charlie stated matter-of-factly. "Wait, ya'll corrected the mafia part of my question, but not the rest... Please, don't tell me he really _does_ owe you money...?" She pleaded.

"He does." They all said bluntly.

Charlie hung her head in shame and defeat.

"... How much? Go ahead and tell me, I can take it." She said, bracing herself for impact.

"Ten thousand." Ronnie stated calmly.

Charlie's jaw dropped.

"Yeah, and he left a note claimin' some Charlie guy would pay it off for him, but it doesn't say anything about how to find him." Pecho said as he pulled the note out of his coat pocket and handed it to Ronnie.

It was definitely Dino Azzurra's handwriting, and the 'Charlie guy' from the note was probably the same Charlie who was standing next to him, and who also looked like she was about to snap.

"Hm... It seems Dino Azzurra has left New York, has no plans for coming back, and has shifted all responsibility for his debt to us onto his poor sister, who agreed to be his collateral... What an unpleasant fellow." Ronnie said thoughtfully as he read the note.

Randy whistle slowly in amazement.

"What a rat! I can't believe he'd try to pull a fast one like this! I didn't think he'd have the guts..." Randy said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Is it true that you've agreed to be his collateral?" Pecho asked Charlie.

Charlie just stood there, shell-shocked.

"Uh, Miss...? You okay?" Pecho asked as he waved his hand in front of her face.

"It ain't no use, Pecho. She looks like she's in shock. The lights are on, but nobody's home." Randy said, shaking his head.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, I think part of my brain blew a fuse for a moment, there... Did you just say something?" Charlie asked, blinking, as she smilied apologetically at them. She looked like she could use a drink, a stiff one too.

"... Why don't we continue this discussion inside?" Ronnie suggested.

/=/=/=/

**Inside the Alveare**

"... So then I went with Mr. Luck. Staying with them for the past two days wasn't so bad, and I've already managed to pay them back almost half what he owes the Gandors by selling my watch, earrings, and doing a little work for them... But now I find out he volunteered me for even more trouble without even asking for my permission_!_?" Charlie cried incredulously.

She slammed her glass of alcohol down on the counter.

"I've had enough! Dino'd better watch out, 'cuz if I catch'em, ya'll will be the _least _of his worries!" Charlie declared, her speech was starting to slur a little because she was rambling so angrily now.

She probably shouldn't be spending her money on booze right now, but let's face it—anyone would want a little liquid courage after what she'd been through because of Dino.

Ronnie and the two men, Randy and Pecho, had ushered Charlie into the small shop called 'Alveare' that they had been standing outside of. It was one of the few nightclubs managed by the Martillo Family. Following its namesake, the outside of the store looked just like specialty shop for honey. However, there, beyond the counter and through a sturdy door with a porthole, was a speakeasy, the gathering place for people who desired refuge from the eye of law. Both men, women and even sometimes children, came here for the liquor. This was a place for social gatherings that existed in the niche between public society and the law. Although it wasn't technically open until later in the evening, they had made an exception and opened up a small part of the bar for Charlie since her situation was so pitiful.

"Hey if you tell us where he is, we won't haf'ta hurt ya, ya know." Randy said sympathetically. From the sound of things, this poor dame's only crime was having an asshole for a brother.

"But you'll hurt him, right? As tempting as that is at the moment, I can't. Dino might be a bastard, but I owe Mrs. Aggie too much to do it. She'd cry if she knew someone was hurting her boy." Charlie said glumly as she rested her head in her hands.

"You want another glass?" Pecho offered.

"Nah. Thanks, but I should stop here since I still need to finish my errand for the Gandors, and I'd have to dip into the money they gave me to pay for another, so yeah..." She said, smiling wryly as she declined. "Um, can I use your phone so I can let them know I didn't runaway, and I'm just being held captive by ya'll now?"

"It's already been taken care of." Ronnie said as he seated himself on the bar stool beside her.

'Whoa, did he just get back from calling? I didn't even realize he'd left...' Charlie thought, surprised.

"Luck Gandor will be arriving soon so we can discuss this matter face to face. Maiza is also on his way to make sure we'll know exactly how this will affect our finances. Mr. Azzurra sure has made a fine mess of things." He continued to explain. "Well, no matter. I'm sure we'll come to some sort of arrangement that suits us."

/=/=/=/

"I can't believe this." Luck said, feeling a little exasperated.

To think that Dino would borrow money from both of their families like this, and then dump everything on Charlie... He really was a worthless bastard.

"Do you have any suggestions on how you gentlemen would like to handle the situation with Mr. Dino?" Luck asked Maiza and Ronnie.

Randy and Pecho were showing Charlie their speako's piano to keep her busy while Luck and their superiors were deciding her fate. They thought it'd be better than having her wait in silence for the axe to fall...

"According to Miss Charlie, she has already repaid almost half her debt to you, but she didn't say exactly what kind of work you had her doing. How useful is she?" Ronnie asked.

"Well now, Ronnie, I'm not sure we should hold Miss Charlie responsible for the actions of her adopted brother." Maiza interjected. "In Mr. Luck's case, she made an agreement with him personally, but she wasn't aware of his debt with us at all. There's nothing other than his note to indicate that she has any real responsibility for Dino Azzurra's debt."

"Mr. Dino also seems to have an extreme animosity towards Miss Charlie, so he probably just thought that one of us would kill her if she couldn't pay us back, and is using us to get rid of his competition for his parent's estate... although Miss Charlie has admitted that it isn't really worth much anymore, but Mr. Dino was not aware of this when we last saw him." Luck explained.

"I think it'd be best to teach Mr. Azzurra a lesson, and just have Miss Charlie pay us back in small installations. We'll never get anywhere trying to reason with that idiot, so whether we kill him or let him live, I doubt we'd ever see our money again. But Miss Charlie has a sense of responsibility towards others that her 'brother' lacks, so she'll be more likely to hold up her end of the bargain if we hold her accountable." Ronnie stated.

Maiza glanced at Ronnie, slightly surprised. It almost felt like Ronnie was purposefully trying to find a reason to keep Miss Charlie Azzurra around... Maiza knew that Ronnie Sukiart was not the type to mix the Martillo Family's business with his own pleasure for the sake of a girl he'd only just met.

But at the same time, Maiza couldn't help but feel that there was something strangely familiar about her, like they had met before...

A playful and mischievous flourish of piano notes floated through the air as Charlie tickled the ivory keys and started to sing in a soft, sweet voice.

"Sometimes I can be perfectly sweet,  
>Got the sugary me all stuffed up in my sleeve,<br>And I talk of ponies and rainbows and things,  
>And I'm just who you want me to be..."<p>

The men all stopped talking for a moment and watched as Charlie played the piano, wondering where she was going with this.

"... But like most creatures down here on the ground,  
>I'm composed of the elements moving around,<br>I grow and change and I shift and I switch,  
>And it turns out I'm actually kind of a biii~itch~!"<p>

All of their eyes widened slightly at that, except Luck, who smiled wryly. He was already used to most of Charlie's little eccentricities, after all.

"But that only happens when I get provoked,  
>By some piece of shit asshole we all sadly know,<br>And I sit and I write while reminding you all,  
>That mean songs are still better than going post~al~!"<p>

Pecho nearly spit out his drink this time, and Randy made a noise that was somewhere in between shock and amusement as Ronnie and Maiza adopted their own wry smiles of amusement.  
>This girl was something else...<p>

"And that guy's an asshole,  
>That girl's a bitch~<br>Baby it's natural,  
>No getting away from it~<br>So sing it out with me,  
>And then let it go~<br>Fuck that guy, he's just an a~ass~hooole~!"

Charlie turned slightly to face the others now as she continued to sing and play, smiling a little apologetically at them as her eyes shined mischievously.

"I see I've surprised you with some of my words,  
>And I know that surprises, while fun, still can hurt,<br>And I hate to think that I've ruined the day,  
>Of the dick and the queen of the high horse parade~<p>

But I'm sick and tired of your poisonous ways!  
>You're a toxin,<br>Wasting perfectly good space~!  
>And I say what I think,<br>'Cause it's more economic,  
>Than drugs or a dri~iiink~!"<p>

At this, they all laughed a little, knowing exactly how she felt. This whole situation was giving them all a headache as well, and the way Charlie sang the vindictive words with that playful tone and impish smile on her face was rather comical.

"And that guy's an asshole,  
>That girl's a bitch~<br>Baby it's natural,  
>No getting away from it~<br>So sing it out with me,  
>And then let it go~<br>Fuck that guy, he's just an a~ass~hooole~!

No I won't let him in, under my skin~  
>He's a sad sack of shit, it's pathetic,<br>Just a festering sore,  
>Who will never be more if I don't let hiii~iiii~iiim~!"<p>

Charlie smiled serenely as she took a calming breath after belting out her frustrations, before turning back to them again, satisfied that she had vented her anger towards Dino.

"And here's the part were I invite you all to sing along with me~!" She told them, grinning impishly. "Just repeat after me if you'd like."

The men all exchanged a look as Charlie started to play again, and shrugged. Why the hell not?

"That guy's an asshole~" Charlie started.

_"That guy's an asshole~"_The guys repeated, smiling wryly as they shook their heads at themselves. What was it about Charlie's spirit that made her smile so contagious...?

/=/

"Huh? Do you have a radio on, or somethin', Miss Sena?" Firo asked the lady who was busy stirring a pot of honey on the stove behind the counter. He could hear the faint sound of singing and a piano.

"No. That sounds like the girl Mr. Ronnie brought back there. I thought she might be in some kind of trouble since he called Mr. Luck and Mr. Maiza over, but it sounds like they're having a grand time back there..." Sena muttered, feeling a little left out, since she was stuck working.

"Oh yeah? Maybe I'll take a quick look, then." Firo said, unable to help his curiosity. He also wanted to say hi to Luck if he was here. It'd been a few days since the two friends last saw each other.

Firo's eyes widened in shock when he walked through their speako's door.  
>Whatever he had been expecting, this was not it.<p>

Everyone—Randy, Pecho, Luck, Maiza, and even Mr. Ronnie—was singing along with a young girl (who looked around his own age) to a misleadingly happy melody that was a stark contrast to the crude words in the song's lyrics...

"'Cause that guy's an asshole~"  
><em>"'Cause that guy's an asshole~"<em>  
>"That girl's a bitch~"<br>_"That girl's a bitch~"_  
>"Baby it's natural~"<br>_"Baby it's natural~"_  
>"No getting away from it~"<br>_"No getting away from it~"  
><em>"So sing it out with me~"  
><em>"So sing it out with me~"<em>  
>"And then let it go~"<p>

"_And then let it go~"_  
>"Fuck that guy, he's just an a~ass~hooole~!"<br>_"Fuck that guy, he's just an asshole~!"_

Everyone laughed and gave the girl a little applause as she grinned impishly and bowed.

"Haha~! Thank you, gentlemen~! I'll be here all week!" Charlie joked, blushing slightly. She hadn't expected to be such a hit.

"...Uh, what's going on in here?" Firo asked, confused. "Is this dame a new singer we're hiring?"

"Oh, Firo! This young lady is Miss Charlie." Maiza said, smiling when he saw the young man. "She's actually Dino Azzurra's younger adopted sister, but that's not a bad idea. What do you think?" He asked the others.

"Why not? That's actually what we did when we found out that she could sing and play." Luck said. "She's not half bad at jazz, so we let her be the accompanist for some of the singers we had that didn't already have one of their own, and she even did one solo performance when a band canceled on us at the last minute. We weren't sure if it'd work at first, but it turns out she's got enough charisma to turn a disappointed audience, that expected a big band, into a happy one all by herself. She's pretty convenient to have around. However, I must admit, she's a pretty sad excuse for a poker player."

"That last part was totally unnecessary, Mr. Luck." Charlie mumbled, slightly chagrined. "Besides, I only just started learning poker after we met, didn't I?"

"Well, no matter. I don't foresee any problems with having her pay us back by splitting her time performing for both of our organizations, and I'm sure Miss Lia wouldn't mind letting Miss Charlie stay with her." Ronnie stated calmly.

"That's a good idea. Up until now, Miss Charlie has been staying at our apartment, but that might be considered a little inappropriate..." Luck said thoughtfully.

"Huh? Why would it be inappropriate?" Charlie asked innocently without a trace of sarcasm in her voice.

They all stared at her, slightly stunned. Was she seriously asking them that? You'd think a girl who grew up in a brothel and sang a song like that, with out even flinching, would understand the implications of such a situation... Then again, maybe it's _because_ she was so used to men and women sharing one room with each other for a night that she didn't...

"... _Ohhh!"_ Charlie said, suddenly gasping, as her eyes widened slightly in shock. She had just gotten it. "No way! My momma lectured me everyday about being careful not to give 'it' away until I was married, because most men wouldn't bother to 'buy the cow' if they could 'get the milk for free.' She might not've picked the best environment to raise me in, but that's just because she desperately wanted to be a singer, and Madame Burt was the only one who'd hire her since she couldn't do anything other than sing, and she had me tagging along with her. She said she was engaged to my father, but he 'changed his mind,' and she didn't realize she was pregnant with me until it was too late, and he'd already moved on... That song is actually something my momma wrote about my real father and his new girl, but she and all the ladies would sing it sometimes, after all the customers had left so they could vent their frustrations about certain customers, and I'd play the piano for them." Charlie explained quickly, a little flustered.

She was oddly bashful when it came to stuff like this about herself. Charlie had since been influenced by Mrs. Aggie, who brought her to church every Sunday, so she knew it was wrong to have sex outside of marriage, but at the same time, she couldn't hate her mother or the women who had all treated her like a younger sister... so, Charlie had adopted a 'love the sinner, hate the sin' approach to certain grey areas of life. It's not like women became prostitutes because they wanted to. They had all been good people at heart, and most of them had just ended up trapped in a bad situation.

"Okay... but if your mother couldn't play the piano, then who taught you, and who wrote that melody?" Firo asked, deciding not to comment on how messed up the adults in her life sounded.

"Well, Mr. Jelly used to play for our customers, and I liked his music so much that I asked him to teach me. Since he agreed, I asked him to help me write music for my momma to sing to while we were at it." Charlie explained, smiling.

"Mr. Jelly? Who—" Firo started to ask, when several knocks were heard coming from the other side of the sturdy door with a port hole.

Knock-knock, knock... knock-knock.

Apparently they had a visitor. Randy walked over to the door, peeked through the porthole, and then he knocked twice to let their guest know they could enter.

Charlie's eyes widened slightly, and she smiled warmly as this newcomer walked through the door. He was about ten years older than her. It'd been a while since they had last met, but she'd know that smile and gravely voice anywhere.

* * *

><p>Foot note:<br>The song Charile sings is actually a real song by Sara Bareilles. I started trying to write my own song, but then someone showed me the lyrics, and they were so close, that I just decided to use hers because it's hilarious and awesome!XD I don't own anyting at all.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note: I think I'm just going to cherry pick my favorite aspects from the anime and light novels, and then combine them together for my story. I'm sorry if it's confusing because of that. ^_^; I'll try not to make anyone too OOC. I still haven't decided if this will be a romance, and if so, who with, so we'll just have to see how it goes...  
>And thanks to Mikachu for reviewing! I really appreciate it (^_^)<p>

I own nothing but my OC, and I reserve the right to both accidentally and purposefully distort historical facts. I do not mean to offend anyone, but I'm sorry if you are.

* * *

><p><strong>November 1929<br>Alveare**

Charlie's eyes widened slightly, and she smiled warmly as this newcomer walked through the door. He was about ten years older than her, and it'd been a wile since they had last met, but she'd know that smile and gravely voice anywhere.

"Good evenin', sirs. About tonight's performance... I'm afraid I have some ba—" The smartly-dressed black man said, smiling a little apologetically, before he was very rudely interrupted.

"Satchmo~!" Charlie cried gleefully, overflowing with joy, as she practically threw herself at the man.

The man froze. White women hugging black men so casually was just not something that was done back then. _Thank goodness they weren't in the South, or who knows what might've happened next..._

"Whoa! Excuse me, Miss, but do I kno—_Well, bless my soul!_ If it ain't little Miss 'Charming Charlie'!" The man exclaimed, his troubled expression brightening in an instant when he recognized his assailant. "I haven't seen you since you were still small enough to fold up inside a guitar case! What's Storyville's little Cinderella doin' so far from home? Does your new mother know you're gracin' such a nefarious nightclub with your presence?" He asked her, narrowing his eyes slightly in suspicion.

He had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Aggie before, and he knew the little Catholic woman from Sicily would not approve of Miss Charlie being in a speako, especially without a chaperone.

Charlie released him, laughing nervously, as she rubbed the back of her neck, avoiding his eyes.

"Haha... about that... could you maybe keep this between just the two of us? She's not doin' so hot right now, and I don't want her to get worse worrying over me..." Charlie said guiltily, gazing up at him with big, sad eyes that were silently begging him to have mercy on her soul. "There's not much work to be found in New Orleans for most men, let alone women, so I tried a bigger city. Can't you imagine how I felt when I found out that these gentlemen would let me play for them?" She added, effectively glossing over the ugly truth that she was currently at the mercy of a bunch of gangsters.

She didn't want to drag an old friend into this mess, and from the slightly surprised but approving looks on the others' faces, they were pleased that she had kept their business about the debt between them.

"Oh no, you don't! Don't you dare use those big, sad eyes against me, Missy! Those ladies shoulda never taught you that trick—It just ain't fair usin' 'em against an old friend like that!" He muttered nervously, shielding his eyes from her baby blues.

Even the devil himself wouldn't be able to say no to that special technique that Charlie's 'elder sisters' (the prostitutes) from Storyville had taught her. It was like having an automatic 'get out of jail free' card that no man (and even some women) could resist giving in to. It had been even worse when she was younger because of how strong her 'cute factor' used to be.

"... I take it you and Mr. Armstrong have met before?" Ronnie asked Charlie, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah, Satchmo's kinda like a big brother to me—way more than Dino ever was, too." Charlie said, smiling proudly.

"Heh. You're still just as colorblind as ever, ain't ya." Louis Armstrong said, smiling wryly as he shook his head at her. Miss Charlie was sweet, and it was nice being treated like an equal... but she could really get a fella into trouble someday by being overly friendly like that...

"What? Are you trying to deny how you used to play with me whenever you came to Storyville to perform at our sporting house?" Charlie asked, pouting at him as she crossed her arms. "You're the one who helped me keep playing Jazz on the piano after Mr. Jelly stopped coming!"

"I wasn't denying you, Miss Charlie, just be careful what you say. Not all white folks are as friendly towards colored peoples as you, that's all." Louis explained as he patted her on the head, just like one would when comforting a small child. "Anyway, like she said, me and Miss Charlie go all the way back to when I started playin' at some of the sporting houses in Storyville after Mr. Morton quit, but we haven't seen each other for a few years, so I'm sorry for gettin' a little carried away before." He told the others.

'Did he just refer to 'Mr. Jelly' as 'Mr. Morton'...?' Ronnie wondered, slightly surprised.

Could it be that Miss Charlie's piano teacher was _the_ Mr. 'Jelly Roll' Morton––the famous jazz musician from New Orleans who wrote 'Black Bottom Swamp' and many other influential jazz pieces? If this was the case, then Charlie might actually have valuable connections with other famous musicians, since she also new Mr. Armstrong... this could be very beneficial to them in the future... Ronnie glanced at the others to see how they had reacted to this news, but it seemed they hadn't noticed the connection yet, because they hadn't even blinked...

"It's not a problem, Mr. Armstrong. We were just surprised is all." Maiza said, smiling. "We've only just met Miss Charlie, so we had no idea what to expect."

"Yeah, she's a lil' firecracker, ain't she? She sing her momma's little 'tribute' to her father for you yet? It's a real kick in the head." Louis said, chuckling.

"I'll say. I didn't know what to expect when she started talking about rainbows and ponies, but it definitely wasn't that." Luck said, smirking.

"What?" Firo said, looking extremely confused.

He had only caught the ending, after all.

"I'll explain later, Firo, but first, it sounded like Mr. Armstrong had something important to say?" Luck said, gesturing with his hand to let Mr. Armstrong know he had the floor.

"Oh, yes... I'm terribly sorry gentlemen, but... I'm afraid the other boys got sick after eating some bad fish on the train ride up." Louis apologized. "So instead of 'Louis and his Hot Five' performing tonight, it'll just be plain 'Louis'."

"No way!" Randy cried in dismay.

"All five_!_?" Pecho shouted incredulously.

Louis nodded his head, full of remorse. He had been so relieved when the doctor let him know his band mates would be all right, but they needed rest in bed... However, the show must go on, and he had already promised the Martillos an outstanding group performance.

"I'm afraid so. I can still perform solo, but..." Satchmo said regretfully, glancing at Charlie. Seeing the piano behind her, suddenly gave the trumpet player an idea that just might save the show. "Well, since you're a professional musician now, maybe you can help me out with tonight's performance, Miss Charlie? Going solo would limit the types of songs I can play, but if I we form a duet, then it'll give us a wider variety of songs we can perform! So, what do ya say?" Louis suggested hopefully, grinning at her. "You think you can keep up with ol' Satchmo?"

Charlie grinned too, her eyes twinkling with excitement at the prospect.

"Ha! Prepare to eat my dust, Satchmo, because you ain't heard nothin' yet!" She replied excitedly, eager to rise to the challenge.

/=/=/=/

**Later,  
>The Coraggioso<strong>

"Hey, Luck, where's Charlie? Didn't you go to pick her up from the Martillos?" Berga asked when Luck returned alone.

"I went so we could discuss her situation face to face, but I don't remember saying anything about definitely bringing her back." Luck stated calmly as he removed his coat. It was getting late, so he had returned to help his brothers with the preparations for opening their own establishment for business. "It turns out Mr. Dino owes the Martillos even more than he does us, and he left a note for them that pushed all his responsibility for the debt onto Miss Charlie. We've come to an arrangement where Miss Charlie will take turns performing at the Coraggioso and the Alveare to pay our Families back, in small installments, over time. She'll be staying with Miss Lia from now on as well, so we'll have our apartment to ourselves again. This way we'll all be sure to get our money, and she'll be able to make a living for herself without having to suffer too much on Mr. Dino's behalf." He explained.

Keith nodded in approval at their decision. This way everyone would get what they wanted. Dino could be dealt with at a later date, once his mother passed away, out of respect for Charlie. The whole reason she got involved in this mess to begin with was to let the mother and son be reunited, after all.

"But still, I can't decide if that girl's smart or if she's just plain dumb—I mean, we gave her the perfect opportunity to escape! We gave her enough money to buy a train ticket and have have a decent chance of escaping, but then she ended up getting herself caught again!" Berga said, sighing exasperatedly as he threw his hands up into the air. "I can't believe that after we decided to give her a chance to make a run for it, she seriously went shopping like we asked her to! Who does that_!_?"

"Well, she did say she wouldn't runaway..." Luck pointed out, smiling wryly, as he shrugged. "I think Miss Charlie's problem is that she's just too honest. She's more concerned about the welfare of others than her own."

"... No sense of self-preservation." Keith said quietly, nodding in agreement.

/=/=/=/

**Later that evening,**  
><strong>Back at the Alveare<strong>

"I've been wondering... Why didn't you get sick, Satchmo?" Charlie asked curiously as she sipped a glass of water.

Everything was in full swing at the Alveare, now that it was open for business, but after performing impromptu jazz duets between just a trumpet and a piano of 'Weatherbird', 'Hardhearted Hannah,' 'If I could be with you,' 'Blue skies,' and 'Sweet Georgia Brown,' Charlie and Louis needed a quick break.

"Probably because I had the steak." Louis said a little sheepishly. "Seafood just ain't the same outside of Louisiana."

"Oh, yeah... I know what you mean." Charlie said seriously, nodding in agreement. "When I came here before with my adopted father, Mr. Azzurra, he let me order the chef's 'seafood special,' and I was horrified to find out that all they did was steam it... I mean, where's the seasoning? Hadn't he ever heard of flavor? That's no way to treat such a fine specimen of fish!"

"I think you just chose the wrong restaurant." Maiza said, smiling kindly, as he and Firo walked up beside them. They had come to make sure everything was going well, but it wasn't really necessary, judging by the favorable reactions from their patrons, and their smiling faces.

"You've been to New York before?" Firo asked her, surprised.

If that was the case, then how had she gotten so lost?

"Yes, but I was only eight... and come to think of it, I got lost then, too... But then a nice man introduced me to a cop, and the cop found my father for me. Father was so mad that he tied a rope around my waist, like a leash, so we wouldn't get separated again. He stopped letting me come on trips with him after a while, because something always seems to happen to me whenever I leave New Orleans." Charlie explained, slightly chagrined at the memory of being led around like a pet monkey. _Talk about embarrassing._

'Ah, _that's_ why I thought she was so familiar...' Maiza thought.

He remembered now. A while back, he had met a lost little girl that looked an awful lot like Miss Charlie... it probably _was_Miss Charlie.

It's a good thing she didn't seem to remember his face, because it might be a little awkward to explain why he hadn't aged at all in the past nine years...

"I don't blame him, Miss Charlie. You looked just like a life-sized china doll when you were little. You're mighty lucky some pervert didn't try to kidnap you... although, he would've been mighty disappointed once he realized this little angel's halo was was being held up by devil horns." Louis teased her. "You probably would've kicked and screamed with all your might if someone tried to snatch ya."

"Well, yeah! I would've bit his hand if he tried to cover my mouth, kicked him where it counts, and then run like smoke n' oakum—just like Momma taught me." Charlie stated confidently. "Well, I'll go play a little mood music, so just relax and catch your breath for a bit." She told Louis, winking at him as she returned to her station at the piano and began weaving soft melodies into the atmosphere.

"Her mother sounds like quite the character..." Maiza commented, smiling wryly.

Wouldn't most mothers discourage their children, especially girls, from biting people, since it was a pretty savage thing to do...?

"Yes, Sir, Ms. Celine was somethin' else, alright. She had to be tough since she was a real beauty. She was constantly getting unwanted attention from men who didn't believe she wasn't working as a prostitute." Louis said, shaking his head as he frowned a little out of distaste for the men's actions. Ms. Celine and Charlie had always been good to him, so he hated to see them mistreated. "Anyways, she'd be real proud if she could see Miss Charlie now, following in her footsteps and everything. She'd be relived to know Miss Charlie's managed to do so well for herself, since Ms. Celine had always wanted to play in a real nightclub like this." Louis said, smiling. "Miss Charlie's even tougher, though. She's sweet as sugar, but if you cross her, you'll definitely regret it. Haha, Mr. Bordeaux still has the scar from when Miss Charlie bit him when she was three, too!' Louis said, his eyes twinkling in amusement.

"She really bit people?" Firo asked, raising an eyebrow. Talk about a wild child...

"Yes, but it was only because she didn't have any other way to hurt him. You see, Mr. Bordeaux was a mean drunk, and when he stumbled in one night, he suddenly started beatin' on one of the ladies because she was German, and he had blamed them for the starting the Great War and his brother's death, since he was on the Lusitania when it sank [1]. I wasn't there that night, but I heard he was so violent, that the other ladies were too scared to move! Little Miss Charlie rushed in to help the poor woman, but her little punches and kicks weren't strong enough to get him to stop chocking the poor woman, so Miss Charlie bit his wrist to try to get him to let go. It worked, and he was shocked that a little girl bit him, that he didn't notice when Ms. Celine snuck up behind him, and she broke a vase over his head when she realized he was going to try to hurt her baby next. The Madam had the unconscious Mr. Bordeaux thrown out into the streets." Louis explained, smiling wryly. "Mr. Bordeaux never dared to show his face before them again."

"Hm... I guess she's tougher than she looks, then..." Firo said thoughtfully as they watched Charlie smile happily while she played the piano.

"You certainly can't judge this book by its cover." Ronnie stated calmly.

In the evening dress they'd gotten for her to wear, Charlie looked every bit the part of the 'sultry siren.' One would've thought that her playful and innocent smile would be at odds with the image of a seductress, but it only seemed to add to her allure, especially when combined with the graceful way she held herself as she played the piano.

Firo and Louis glanced out the corner of their eyes at Ronnie, wondering how long he'd been standing there. They hadn't heard or seen him coming at all.

"Mr. Armstrong, this might seem abrupt, but are you familiar with 'Vinni La Primavera'?" Ronnie asked.

"Well, Mr. Ronnie, I'm afraid I don't know that one well enough to play it, but I can see if Miss Charlie does. Would it be alright if she played it?" Louis asked.

"This costumer just wants to hear it sung in Italian, so as long as she can manage that, it'll be fine." Ronnie replied calmly.

Louis nodded in understanding before rejoining Charlie and quietly consulting her about the request.

"'Vinni La Primavera, huh? I haven't heard that one in a while." Maiza said, smiling nostalgically. "But I've never heard it played on a piano before... I wonder how that would work? Which customer requested it?"

"It was that gentleman in the back corner. He seems to be interested in Miss Charlie, because he asked me some questions about her, like where she's from, why she was here—everything but her name. He also seemed to be quite certain that Miss Charlie would have no trouble playing it, despite the fact that she has never performed here before." Ronnie said.

"What? Does her already know her or somethin'?" Firo asked, furrowing his brow slightly in concern.

That was some mighty suspicious behavior, and he couldn't remember ever seeing the man Ronnie had pointed out to them before. He didn't feel like a cop, but he didn't quite fit in with the rest of their patrons...

"I doubt it. Although he knew her by sight, he didn't give off the impression of someone who had just coincidentally seen an old acquaintance again." Ronnie replied calmly. "Just keep an eye on him for now. The Don will be back tomorrow, so let's try to avoid causing any trouble until then."

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Louis said boldly, getting everyone's attention. "As requested, the next song will be Miss Charlie's own rendition of 'Vinni La Primavera' on the piano." He announced, smiling as he gestured for Charlie to take it away.

Charlie smiled as a sense of nostalgia crept up on her as she started to play. This was the song she used to always play for Mrs. Aggie, before they had to sell the piano.

Loose and airy notes began to climb up from the piano, like a vine slowing creeping towards the warm, Sicilian sun as spring grew close. It flowed and danced lightly through the air, very much like a happy jazz tune, but there was no mistaking that Charlie's playing had still managed to draw out the essence and spirit of the original Italian song.

"Vinni la primavera  
>li mennuli su n'ciuri<br>Lu focu di l'ammuri  
>lu cori m'addumò.<br>E ammezzu suli e ciuri,  
>avvolunu l'aceddi<br>Tutti 'sti cosi beddi  
>mi fannu suspirà."<p>

With the first verse, Charlie's clear voice slowly and gently began to sing wistfully of the wonders of spring and love.

A hush fell over the crowded speako as virtually all conversation ceased, and the occupants of the room watched silently, giving the young girl at the piano their full attention. Since they were located in little Italy, it was only natural that most of their patrons were Italian, or the children and grandchildren of Italian Immigrants, so most of them had heard the Italian folk song before, but this was not just an Italian song anymore... no, Charlie had blended the two cultures together in a beautiful harmony. It was an _American-Italian_song now, just like them.

"Si maritau Rosa  
>Saridda e Pippinedda<br>e iù, ca sugnu bedda  
>mi vogghiu marità.<br>Si maritau Rosa  
>Saridda e Pippinedda<br>Pi ia cha sognu bedda  
>maritau non cin'è.<p>

Tanti picciotti beddi  
>passunu di sta' strata;<br>ma nuddu 'na vardata  
>alla mé casa dà.<br>Certu 'stu desideriu  
>distruggi la mé vita<br>mi vogghiu fari zita  
>mi vogghiu marità.<p>

Si maritau Rosa  
>Saridda e Pippinedda<br>e iù, ca sugnu bedda  
>mi vogghiu marità.<br>Si maritau Rosa  
>Saridda e Pippinedda<br>Pi ia cha sognu bedda  
>maritau non cin'è.<p>

La dota l'àiu fatta  
>la casa l'àiu macari<br>schetta non vogghiu stari  
>rannuzza sugnu già<br>La culpa è di mé matri  
>mi teni arritirata<br>ma ora la iurnata  
>vaiu di ccà e di ddà.<p>

Si maritau Rosa  
>Saridda e Pippinedda<br>e iù, ca sugnu bedda  
>mi vogghiu marità.<br>Si maritau Rosa  
>Saridda e Pippinedda<br>Pi ia cha sognu bedda  
>maritau non cin'è."<p>

There was a moment of silence after Charlie brought the song to a close, and for a moment, she was afraid that she might have offended her audience by changing a traditional song so much, but then a thunderous roar of applause and cheers erupted from the crowd, and Charlie breathed a sigh of relief as she smiled and took a bow.

Even Louis Armstrong himself was clapping.

However, Ronnie noticed that one person had not reacted as expected.

The man in the back corner was glaring intensely at Charlie as he reached into his coat.

"Don't even think about it." Ronnie whispered coldly as he suddenly appeared beside the man, gripping his wrist so he couldn't aim the gun in his hand at the two performers.

"Why, Miss Charlie, I think you've been holdin' out on me!" Louis teased her, laughing. "Wherever did you learn how to play _that_?"

Charlie smiled as she blushed slightly after being praised so highly.

"I wrote the score for this version of the song for my adopted mother when I was younger. She couldn't speak English very well at the time, and I couldn't speak Italian... so I picked a language we'd both understand. 'Vinni La Primavera' or 'Si Maritau Rosa', as she liked to call it, was the song she would sing to me when I couldn't sleep at night." Charlie explained, smiling fondly at her memories of Mrs. Aggie.

"I see, so that song is the result of a special bond, huh?" Maiza said thoughtfully.

"Hey, Mr. Maiza... where'd Mr. Ronnie go? Wasn't he with us a second ago?" Firo asked, furrowing his brow slightly in concern when he realized the man from the back corner table was missing as well.

* * *

><p>[1] WWI was called 'The Great War' before WWII happened because it was the worst war world-wide to date, and they never thought there'd be another like it, and The RMS Lusitania was a British cruise ship that was sunk by a German U-boat during the war, before America joined in. (This was actually one of the reasons America eventually did join the war because American passengers that were on the ship at the time died.)<p>

I added a link to my profile for a pic of what Charlie looks like that I drew a while back ^_^


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note:** Sorry for the long hiatus! I had some stuff going on, but that's mostly settled now. I probably won't be able to update as often as before, but I'll try to get something up at least once a week… Also, someone asked before when this was set, and it's supposed to take place before the anime right now, but I'm working towards rewriting Charlie into that as well later on.  
>Thank you for continuing to read my story. I hope you enjoy it!<p>

I own nothing but my OC, and I reserve the right to both accidentally and purposefully distort historical facts. I don't mean to offend anyone, but I'm sorry if you are.

* * *

><p><strong>Previously:<strong>

_There was a moment of silence after Charlie brought the song to a close, and for a moment, she was afraid that she might have offended her audience by changing a traditional song so much, but then a thunderous roar of applause and cheers erupted from the crowd, and Charlie breathed a sigh of relief as she smiled and took a bow._

_Even Louis Armstrong himself was clapping._

_However, Ronnie noticed that one person had not reacted as expected._

_The man in the back corner was glaring intensely at Charlie as he reached into his coat._

_"Don't even think about it." Ronnie whispered coldly as he suddenly appeared beside the man, gripping his wrist so he couldn't aim the gun in his hand at the two performers._

_"Why, Miss Charlie, I think you've been holdin' out on me!" Louis teased her, laughing. "Wherever did you learn how to play that?"_

_Charlie smiled as she blushed slightly after being praised so highly._

_"I wrote the score for this version of the song for my adopted mother when I was younger. She couldn't speak English very well at the time, and I couldn't speak Italian... so I picked a language we'd both understand. 'Vinni La Primavera' or 'Si Maritau Rosa', as she liked to call it, was the song she would sing to me when I couldn't sleep at night." Charlie explained, smiling fondly at her memories of Mrs. Aggie._

_"I see, so that song is the result of a special bond, huh?" Maiza said thoughtfully._

_"Hey, Mr. Maiza... where'd Mr. Ronnie go? Wasn't he with us a second ago?" Firo asked, furrowing his brow slightly in concern when he realized the man from the back corner table was missing as well._

* * *

><p><strong>January 1917<br>Storyville, New Orleans  
>A Certain Sporting House<strong>

Candle flames flickered in a darkened room as three figures stood around the special seal they had drawn onto the wooden floor with chalk.

Now for the moment of truth...

"Come forth, Demon!" A brunette teenage girl said boldly, while her two friends gulped nervously. "Share with us the secret of—"

"What are you doing?" A small girl asked as the door creaked open, shattering their concentration.

_"Eeeek!_?" The brunette's two sidekicks shrieked as they held onto each other, startled out of their wits.

"Ughhh!" The brunette groaned in exasperation. "_Charlie!_ Do you know _how long_ it took us to set this up_!_?" She demanded incredulously as she put her hands on her hips and glared sternly at the five-year-old little girl.

"...No, but I know how long it'll be befwore ya can sit again if Madam catches ya." Little Charlie said, frowning slightly.

She was being perfectly serious. The Madame of their house had not been pleased the last time she caught this same trio trying out a voodoo curse on a certain customer the other day. Unfortunately for Charlie, no one really takes adorable, pouting tots, who can't pronounce English properly, very seriously.

"Awwww~! 'Charming' Charlie's so adorable when she's upset~!" The two sidekicks cooed as they fawned over her, much to Charlie's chagrin. "Do you want some candy? It's rose flavored~!"

"Yeah~!" Charlie said happily. She flinched, startled. She'd let her guard down too much! "Ah! I mean, I want it, but I won't be bwribed! Ya'll better stop dis befwore—"

"What's all this, then?" An authoritative voice asked sternly from the doorway.

They all turned slowly to face it's owner, praying that they had just heard wrong.  
>Alas, they hadn't...<p>

_It was the Madame...!_

"M-M-Madame—_!_?" The brunette stuttered, horrified, as she broke out into a cold sweat. "U-Uh... this isn't what it looks like...?" She tried, smiling nervously.

The Madame was not amused.

"You mean, you _weren't_ performing some _satanic ritual_ in one of my rooms, and you _weren't_ trying to _bribe _a relatively innocent little girl to keep her quiet about it?" The Madame asked cynically as she raised an eyebrow at them.

There was really no response they could give to that rhetorical question that wouldn't just dig the three girls even further into their own graves, so they wisely chose to remain silent.

"Charlene, clean the chalk off of the floor, and then go to bed. Mr. Azzurra is coming to fetch you tomorrow morning, so make sure you get a good night's rest." The Madame said, smiling a little sadly at the young girl before dragging the three doomed teens from the room for further punishment.

Charlie sighed sadly when they were gone and glanced at the chalk drawing on the floor. She didn't want to leave. The women of this 'house,' as strange as they were, were all the closest thing she had to family now that her mother was gone...

Charlie sniffed as tears started flowing down her little cheeks, and she fell to her knees as she tried to wipe them away.

"Momma... I miss you... Momma!" She sobbed helplessly.

_"My, my..."_A deep voice said from somewhere in the darkness.

Charlie froze. She glanced around the room, looking for the person who had just spoken, but she was completely alone... and yet... she couldn't help but feel that she wasn't. There was another presence in the room with her. Charlie shivered. Had the demon summoning ritual actually worked...? It didn't feel entirely evil, but it didn't feel completely good either...

_"I thought I'd come and have a look since it has been some time since I was last summoned, but in the end, it was just three young ladies and a small girl... well, no matter." _The disembodied voice continued._ "Those other three were amateurs, but you seem like you may have some potential, little one."_

"B-But... I didn't do anything..." Charlie said nervously as she started edging closer towards the door. Potential for _what_?

Her escape route was cut off when a shadow rose up from the floor in front of it, blocking her path. This room was on the third floor, so the only way out now was to jump out of the window and pray she didn't break her neck...

Not much of an option if you ask me.

"The words those girls used to summon me were mere trinkets. The very thought of my being brings me into your presence. Just now, you were wondering if demons truly existed, were you not? As for myself, many call me a demon, but that is simply out of fear for something they cannot understand, ah, no matter." The voice said.

For someone or something without a body, he sure did talk (ramble) a lot.

"Th-Then... what are you...?" Charlie asked. Her sense of curiosity was starting to overcome her fear. At least she didn't have to worry about whatever this shadow was eating her soul, right? Unless demons weren't the only ones who liked to consume the human spirit...

"You might be too young to understand this, but no matter, I suppose I shall tell you anyway. It's been a while since anyone has bothered to ask." The voice said thoughtfully.

What an interesting child... not only was she acting fairly composed after finding herself in such a strange situation, but she was asking intelligent questions that most adults didn't usually even think to ask him. Although, admittedly, most adults already had a specific question in mind when summoning him to begin with. This child had so many questions and thoughts spinning around inside her head, it was a wonder he could discern any specific thoughts in the huge, Gordian knot-like mass at all.

"I am simply an alchemist that learned too much. That is all." The voice replied smoothly.

"Al-chemist...? I think I heard about that befwore... it's based on science, right?" Charlie said, furrowing her little brow slightly in confusion. "Miss Maude let me look at one of her books that had something like that in it, but I think it was too hard for me to understand yet... Why did she and the others call you in the first place, Mista Shadow?" she asked curiously.  
>"... 'Mister Shadow'...?" The voice asked curiously. "Are you referring to me?"<p>

Charlie had the distinct feeling that the shadow before her would be raising its eyebrow at her if it had one.

"Well... I hafta call ya somethin', don't I?" Charlie said, sheepishly as she rubbed the back of her neck. "Did ya want me to call ya somethin' else?"

"No, 'Mister Shadow' will do just fine for now." The voice replied, slightly amused. It was certainly better than being called 'demon'. "I can sense that your mind is preoccupied with many questions concerning life and death. But, unlike those three, you do not seem to be interested in an immortality elixir… Why is that?" The shadow asked curiously.

" 'Cause it won't do me any good. My momma's alweady dead." Charlie replied sadly, lowering her head a bit as she glanced down at the floor. "So, if I can't die, then how'm I ever gonna see her again? Madam says that if I'm a good girl, then I'll be able to see her again when I go to heaven."

"You want to die?" The shadow asked, genuinely surprised. Whether there really was a heaven or a hell, he did not know, seeing as he had never actually died before, however, he was surprised by her lack of anxiety towards death.

It was extremely rare to come across a sane human who didn't have fear of the unknown they all referred to as the 'afterlife', if there even was one.

But Charlie shook her head.

"No, not yet." She said. "My momma said we all gotta die someday, but 'til then, she wants me to keep smilin' and enjoyin' life… She made me promise to do my best at it, even if it gets tough, so that's what I'm gonna do."

The shadow chuckled softly. There was something refreshing about this child's attitude towards life. This tiny little thing had resolved to simply do the best with what she was given all for the sake of a promise she made out of love, and even went so far as to turn down immortality in the hopes of being able to reunite with her deceased mother.

"Very well. You have made an interesting choice, little one."

This child possessed an inner strength and determination to believe in herself and those close to her that surpassed that of many adults… He wondered if she would still be able to remain so the future, after having experienced more of the world and its many hardships for herself...? He hoped so. He found himself looking forward to seeing what kind of adult she would become in the future.

It would be gravely disappointing if such an interesting child's growth was stunted and reduced to a stagnant mediocrity.

Charlie furrowed her brow slightly in confusion, wondering what he had meant. Was choosing to be normal really that 'interesting'?

"Yes, I am very interested in seeing how far it will take you…" The shadow told her before mysteriously vanishing.

/=/=/=/

**Present day—November 1929  
>Outside the Alveare<strong>

"Who are you, and why did you just try to pull a gun on Miss Azzurra?" Ronnie demanded calmly as he shoved the now unarmed man out into the back alley. And what had possessed him to do it in a room full of gangsters?

Didn't this man know whose turf he was on?

"Hey, take it easy, pal! It ain't nothin' personal—just business, that's all! I'm just a hired gun." The inept hit man explained, raising his hands defensively, trying to remain calm despite the gun being pointed in his face.

"Who hired you?" Ronnie asked, narrowing his eyes slightly. He had a feeling he already knew the answer, though.

"Dino Azzurra." The hit man answered easily, throwing his client under the bus without the slightest bit of hesitation. He wasn't going to let himself get shot for some stranger.

The guy hadn't really paid him much to begin with, the skinflint.


End file.
